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      03-20-2014, 09:16 AM   #1
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What Car? readers preview the 2014 BMW i8

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What Car? readers preview the 2014 BMW i8
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Whatcar? brought in some enthusiasts and potential buyers to preview and give their impressions on the BMW i8.

Here's what they had to say.



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      03-20-2014, 09:26 AM   #2
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Very cool! Thanks for posting this!
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      03-20-2014, 09:27 AM   #3
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interesting video, can't wait to read/watch the first reviews. txh for sharing!
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      03-20-2014, 09:40 AM   #4
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I agree with the first guy..car looks cool but the sound, if this car produces any at all, will be disappointing..OH wait!!!!!!!!! There will be fake exaust from a v8 being dumped thru the stereo!! Wohoo!! Way to go BMW!!

I cant see the point of this car really..the i3 makes total sense..small city vehicle with great range and less CO2 emissions..ok.

But this? Was this suposed to be a sports car? Bmw made the sports car of the future but forgot that we're on the present..altho in a diferent league, the porsche 918 its completly accepted as a sports car..has the power, the sound, the looks and tech to match..i even like the idea of it having an eletric motor aswell..but the concept its diferent..in the porsche the eletric motor its there to help the petrol engine..in the i8 it seems to be the other way around.
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      03-20-2014, 09:58 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AKRAPOVICOWNS View Post
Bmw made the sports car of the future but forgot that we're on the present..
If every company thought the way you want them to think we would never innovate. The point is precisely to create something that is different from the sports cars we have right now and I think they've succeeded. They're not only creating a sustainable sports cars but experimenting with carbon fiber parts which will allow them to discover ways to use more such parts in their normal cars. This car is not for everyone clearly but I think it appeals to those who would like something different from the conventional road going cars
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      03-20-2014, 10:16 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AKRAPOVICOWNS View Post
I agree with the first guy..car looks cool but the sound, if this car produces any at all, will be disappointing..OH wait!!!!!!!!! There will be fake exaust from a v8 being dumped thru the stereo!! Wohoo!! Way to go BMW!!

I cant see the point of this car really..the i3 makes total sense..small city vehicle with great range and less CO2 emissions..ok.

But this? Was this suposed to be a sports car? Bmw made the sports car of the future but forgot that we're on the present..altho in a diferent league, the porsche 918 its completly accepted as a sports car..has the power, the sound, the looks and tech to match..i even like the idea of it having an eletric motor aswell..but the concept its diferent..in the porsche the eletric motor its there to help the petrol engine..in the i8 it seems to be the other way around.
Couldn't agree more. The P1 & 918 have spine tingling sound, as well as a being "hybrid."

3 cylinders reminds me of an anemic Chevy rental car I had to drive to the airport.

So far…I'm given' the i8 the "stink eye
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      03-20-2014, 10:18 AM   #7
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i8 is a sick car .. Just wish it had sound like a amg or M
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      03-20-2014, 10:56 AM   #8
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I think this car deserves a proper set of tires.
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      03-20-2014, 11:03 AM   #9
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The 3cyl sounds much like a 6.

With the correct exhaust it can sound great but it's still just a 3cyl
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      03-20-2014, 11:03 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Diver
I think this car deserves a proper set of tires.
That's only the beginning
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      03-20-2014, 11:21 AM   #11
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I just cant bring myself to accept this as a "super car" for all the obvious reasons. Even the styling is terrible. The only cool thing is how the doors open. Excited to see what the next gen R8 will look like, now that's a super car. I respect all those who order an i8 and I'd really love to hear your reasoning behind ordering an i8 vs and R8 or something similar
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      03-20-2014, 12:56 PM   #12
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You're good since the i8 is not a supercar

I think most people that are ordering an i8 just want an i8 for what it is and aren't really cross-shopping it with other cars. I also think that it is not "the only" car for those people who are ordering one. Likely they have one, or several, more car(s) already in their stable.

What cars would someone cross-shop against the i8 if only one car was an option? Would it be on price, on performance, on efficiency? I can think of a bunch of cars and all are as different from each other as they are from the i8.
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      03-20-2014, 02:45 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by bosz View Post
I respect all those who order an i8 and I'd really love to hear your reasoning behind ordering an i8 vs and R8 or something similar
I've got a SLS AMG for the loud, rolling artillery barrage V8 supercar hooliganism. I'm buying the i8 because I want something different...plus it will be funny to have a 18-20mpg 6.2-liter V8 parked next to a crazy-mpg 1.5-liter 3-cylinder.

Quote:
Originally Posted by FlyNavy View Post
Couldn't agree more. The P1 & 918 have spine tingling sound, as well as a being "hybrid."

3 cylinders reminds me of an anemic Chevy rental car I had to drive to the airport.

So far…I'm given' the i8 the "stink eye
As far as sound goes, everything I've heard has been positive. Most saying it sounds like a 911 both inside and out.



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      03-20-2014, 03:00 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carac View Post
I've got a SLS AMG for the loud, rolling artillery barrage V8 supercar hooliganism. I'm buying the i8 because I want something different...plus it will be funny to have a 18-20mpg 6.2-liter V8 parked next to a crazy-mpg 1.5-liter 3-cylinder.



As far as sound goes, everything I've heard has been positive. Most saying it sounds like a 911 both inside and out.



It does sound reasonable. Its funny how a 3 cyl sounds MUCH better than a 4 cyl!

I see how you will fit in the i8 in your stable of vehicles

Well for someone like myself and (I'm sure many people) who can only make way for one sporty/exotic/super car-ish 2nd or 3rd car, then I'd want to get something crazy like your SLS or an R8 - a proper exotic/supercar.

I have a feeling the i8 will depreciate hard, just like all the M cars (except for M3 and i guess M4). a 2008 R8 V8 is still sells for $80-$100k 6 years later (brand new MSRP is $135k) and v10s even less depreciation
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      03-20-2014, 04:10 PM   #15
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A 2008 R8 V8 does not possibly sell for $100k ... it was only $115k brand new. I've seen 2012 R8 V8 for $100k at a Benz dealer. There might be some 2008 R8's listed for $80-$90k but I would be surprised to see them fetch that much.

I think the i8 will not depreciate at all like M cars do. I am thinking more like the Z8. It will be a limited run future collectible car. Z8s still go for mad money.
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      03-20-2014, 04:37 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ddk632 View Post
A 2008 R8 V8 does not possibly sell for $100k ... it was only $115k brand new. I've seen 2012 R8 V8 for $100k at a Benz dealer. There might be some 2008 R8's listed for $80-$90k but I would be surprised to see them fetch that much.

I think the i8 will not depreciate at all like M cars do. I am thinking more like the Z8. It will be a limited run future collectible car. Z8s still go for mad money.
In canada the MSRP for R8 V8 is $135K. I'm keeping an eye out and the least the V8's are selling for (like sold prices) are low 80's. So far only once did i see a high km bone stock basic 6 spd V8 in poorer shape sell for $75k in Toronto.

Yes I guess its quite possible for the i8 to hold value well.. I just can't see many car lovers lining up for an i8 in resale. At least with the R8 V10 your're getting into a rebadged Lambo Gallardo... same engine/chasis/transmission/dimensions and sound as the Gallardo-- which explains why the V10's hold value so well and is so sought after in resale!

i think is the i8 had much more power and track-ability etc it would be totally different story. I definitely want to test drive it one day
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      03-20-2014, 07:17 PM   #17
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Yeah only time will tell, but at the i8 events I attended where the BMW people, including Jacob Harb (BMW i Brand Manager) were talking, they were making the comparison to the Z8 in terms of what this car's future may look like, as far as exclusivity and desirability. To me resale goes with that.

I also believe that the car enthusiasts of today and the car enthusiasts of 10-20 years from now will be a different crowd. There will be more cars like the i8 and it will be known as the first of its kind.

Then there's guys that even today can appreciate it for what it is. I still love hypercars and if I could afford a Pagani Huayra one day I sure as hell would buy one. And an original M Coupe. Along with a V12 Ferrari. And in my dream garage, the i8 would be next to those cars
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      03-20-2014, 08:40 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bosz
Quote:
Originally Posted by ddk632 View Post
A 2008 R8 V8 does not possibly sell for $100k ... it was only $115k brand new. I've seen 2012 R8 V8 for $100k at a Benz dealer. There might be some 2008 R8's listed for $80-$90k but I would be surprised to see them fetch that much.

I think the i8 will not depreciate at all like M cars do. I am thinking more like the Z8. It will be a limited run future collectible car. Z8s still go for mad money.
In canada the MSRP for R8 V8 is $135K. I'm keeping an eye out and the least the V8's are selling for (like sold prices) are low 80's. So far only once did i see a high km bone stock basic 6 spd V8 in poorer shape sell for $75k in Toronto.

Yes I guess its quite possible for the i8 to hold value well.. I just can't see many car lovers lining up for an i8 in resale. At least with the R8 V10 your're getting into a rebadged Lambo Gallardo... same engine/chasis/transmission/dimensions and sound as the Gallardo-- which explains why the V10's hold value so well and is so sought after in resale!

i think is the i8 had much more power and track-ability etc it would be totally different story. I definitely want to test drive it one day
The i8 is more of a proof of concept for BMW than a foray into the "super halo car" territory. The halo effect that they are trying to create with it is for their hybrid technology, simply by putting it into a much more aesthetically appealing package than what we have seen from them before. The R8 in that regard isn't really comparable to the i8, but regardless, if being forced to choose between the two, I'd take an i8 over the R8 V8. Granted having the Gallardo in my stable skews that opinion a bit but I've never seen much of a point in the R8s V8 variant from a sports car perspective (in anything other than looks) as there are far better options out there in my opinion. Of course the V10 variant is a different story, but we could never compare the i8 to something like that. Hopefully BMW will use the i8 platform for an M variant so that BMW will finally have a direct competitor to Audi's R8 V10, but in the meantime the other M cars are doing just fine at being lovely beasts in their own right. I'm having a specially hard time driving anything other than my M6 lately and I'm sure that the lucky few that will be receiving delivery of their i8s soon will have a hard time staying away from it as well, as I have no doubt it will do what it was designed to just fine.
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      03-21-2014, 08:47 AM   #19
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Great concept car. Very confusing to me nonetheless.


Sporty - Design, price tag, acceleration, driving dynamics, ...
Cheap - skinny tires, 3 cylinder, plastic and rubber interior, ...


I would have loved this car to take more the direction of the Porsche 918, in much scaled down terms obviously. This here is interesting to look at and study, but does not interest me in the least if I were in the market for a $140,000 sports coupe.
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      03-21-2014, 08:50 AM   #20
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      03-21-2014, 11:36 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FlyNavy View Post
Couldn't agree more. The P1 & 918 have spine tingling sound, as well as a being "hybrid."

3 cylinders reminds me of an anemic Chevy rental car I had to drive to the airport.

So far…I'm given' the i8 the "stink eye
Yes the P1 and the 918 have a 'spine tingling sound'... that might just have something to do with the large displacement V8's?. The i8 isn't badged a supercar, let alone the hypercars which these two are. Not to mention the fact the i8 will provide you with unmatched fuel economy, and will cost you 1/7 or some the price...

The i8 falls within BMW's 'i' brand, not the 'M' brand, the core competencies of 'i' surround innovation and sustainability. Yes the P1 and 918 are classed as hybrids, however only a fool would compare them to an i8.
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      03-21-2014, 01:30 PM   #22
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The hypercar hybrids use the electric drive to supplement instant torque to increase performance. Neither of them are particularly efficient. Their all electric range, while similar, is a bit lower than that of the i8. The P1 makes something like 904 horsepower, and the Porsche in the 700's somewhere.

In contrast, the i8 uses both the electric motor and the gas motor in unison for performance and efficiency.

It's a completely different concept than those cars. They are incredible machines but the execution of hybrid technology is for a different purpose in these cars than in the i8.
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